The operating principle of such an installation, a so-called OTE (Ocean Thermal Energy) installation, consists of using the temperature difference which naturally exists between water at the surface and water deep down in the oceans for operating a heat engine.
Because of the laws of thermodynamics, in order to have an acceptable efficiency, the application of such OTE installations is only justified when subject to a temperature difference for example of more than 20° C.
Typically, the water may for example be at a temperature of 25° C. at the surface and at a temperature of 5° C. at a depth of 1,000 meters.
It is then conceivable that this limits the use of such installations to specific areas such as for example tropical areas.
The cold water then has to be pumped from a very great depth through means forming a suction pipe associated with the platform, while the hot water is pumped at the surface.
Different attempts have already been made for developing installations for producing energy based on OTE.
Attempts were for example conducted by Georges CLAUDE during the thirties.
Of course, other operators have made other attempts since then.
But the very large majority of these different attempts failed because of diverse problems and in particular problems of mechanical strength of certain elements of these installations under the encountered environmental conditions.
Indeed, it is known that in the geographic areas in which these installations may be installed, particular weather conditions may be encountered, such as for example relatively strong marine currents, storms, etc., which causes degradation or even failure of certain parts of the installation.
Moreover it is known that navigation in the area surrounding such installations is relatively delicate because of the presence of a large number of underwater pieces of equipment: connecting means, anchoring lines etc. . . .